Every year, October 15th is recognized as National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. It is on this day, and always we are thankful for organizations such as the Star Legacy Foundation. The Star Legacy Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to reducing pregnancy loss and neonatal death and improving care for families who experience such […]
Category: Infant/early childhood health
Resource: Early Childhood Developmental Screening and Title V–Building Better Systems Issue Brief
This issue brief provides insight into the Title V Maternal and Child Health Block Grant developmental screening activities across the country. It aims to inform public health professionals, partners and stakeholders of different developmental screening-related strategies that could be applied in communities, and to provide connections to states highlighted for their work on this topic. […]
MCH Students Meet Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton
Lauren Gilchrist, Senior Policy Advisor to Governor Mark Dayton and the instructor for PubH 6634: Children and Families: Public Health Policy and Advocacy, took MCH students to meet with Governor Dayton this semester. In her role, Lauren works with commissioners, legislators, local government, and stakeholders to advance health and human services policy issues for the state of Minnesota. Her course (PubH 6634) focuses on how public policies at […]
Resource: Ensuring Safe and Supportive Schools for Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students Toolkit
Safe, supportive, and welcoming schools play a pivotal role in ensuring students are engaged in learning and that nothing hinders their ability to achieve their best in the classroom. The School Safety Technical Assistance Council seeks to help all schools in Minnesota ensure that all students regardless of their color, race, religion, gender or sexual […]
Resource: Communicating the Value of Developmental Screening Learning Module
The purpose of this learning module from the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP) is to build the capacity of Title V leaders and other health professionals to articulate the value of developmental screening with various stakeholders and to identify the role of Title V programs in building and improving developmental screening systems. This […]
Resource: Well-being Indicator Tool for Youth (WIT-Y)
The Well-being Indicator Tool for Youth (WIT-Y) was designed by the for youth aged 15-21 years who currently are in or in the past have had contact with the child welfare system. The WIT-Y consists of three components: The WIT-Y assessment, an online tool that youth can complete to explore their well-being across eight domains (Safety […]
Resource: Zika Virus: Protecting Pregnant Women & Babies
Zika virus infection (Zika) during pregnancy can cause damage to the brain, microcephaly, and congenital Zika syndrome, a pattern of conditions in the baby that includes brain abnormalities, eye defects, hearing loss, and limb defects. In 2016, 44 states reported cases of pregnant women with evidence of Zika. The April issue of VitalSigns from […]
Resource: National Child Abuse Prevention Month
Featured resources were developed by the Children’s Bureau within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to support service providers in their work with parents, caregivers, and their children to prevent child abuse and neglect and promote child and family well-being. They represent the work of a broad-based partnership of national organizations, Federal partners, […]
Guest Post: Maternal Mental Health–Why We Need to Pay Attention
By Katherine Allen, University of Minnesota Extension’s Children, Youth & Family Consortium (CYFC) Maternal mental health during pregnancy, childbirth, and infancy is an important predictor of child development, yet it is massively understudied, underreported, and undertreated. Across the world, mental illness associated with pregnancy and childbirth is a primary complication for women. Depression is the most […]
Checklist: Breastfeeding-Friendly Workplaces
Are you working in a breastfeeding-friendly work environment? Are you providing one for your employees? The Minnesota Department of Health recognizes workplaces that have demonstrated their commitment to supporting breastfeeding mothers by creating a workplace lactation support program and resources. 1. Use the self-assessment checklist (PDF) to review the criteria for Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace recognition […]